Imperial launches free MBA taster courses for online learners with edX

The Business School today launched its first series of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) for people who are considering doing an MBA degree.

It will be the first time that Imperial is offering a free online taster of its MBA to students who have yet to meet its rigorous entry requirements.

The free courses are offered as part of a new agreement between Imperial College London and edX, a non-profit online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT that offers free courses from the world’s top universities to over 8 million learners all around the world. Imperial will join more than 100 global institutions to offer subjects to online learners that reflect its world-class expertise in science, technology and business.

The new Essentials for MBA Success courses have been created by Imperial College Business School and will provide learners with a solid grounding in the foundation topics needed to embark on an MBA. The four courses will cover maths, finance, data analysis and accounting. The courses are now open for enrolment and will start on 17 October.

Drawing on Imperial’s world-class expertise from its Global Online MBA degree, the MOOC courses are targeted at people who are ready to start an MBA degree and want to identify any gaps in their knowledge before they undertake a full degree.

The courses are also designed to appeal to learners who have studied management topics in the past and are considering applying for an MBA. Students will get a flavour of what studying for an MBA at Imperial is like and the preparation needed to succeed in their studies.

Dr David Lefevre, Director of the Edtech Lab at Imperial College Business School said: “As an active participant in the use of edtech and online programmes, Imperial College Business School keenly recognises the growing need for flexible learning programmes that cater for people’s busy lifestyles. MBA programmes, and business education generally, can change lives and through the edX partnership we are enabling more people from all over the world to access our renowned world leading expertise in business education.”

Each course features leading academic experts from the Business School and combines an active, social approach to learning with extensive multimedia. The courses also feature a personalised learning plan highlighting the areas that students need to focus on to acquire the base level of knowledge needed to undertake the core subjects on an MBA.

Anant Agarwal, edX CEO and MIT Professor, said: “We are honoured to welcome Imperial College London to edX. With an expertise in research and teaching designed to tackle real world challenges in business, Imperial shares the edX mission to help learners everywhere gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the evolving workplace.”

The courses are designed to provide a flexible learning experience. Students can study the courses in the order they choose, fitting them around their work and other life commitments. Each course will feature a mixture of academic theory and the ‘real world’ skills needed for business. The subjects are brought to life through interactive exercises and video content. Students also benefit from an expert online tutor to support them through the learning materials and associated activities. The courses also foster a learning community and encourage students to connect with other peers studying the same subjects online.

The Essentials for MBA Success courses offered by Imperial College Business School will start on 17 October. For further information or to sign up for the courses please visit the Imperial College page on the edX website.

See the press release of this article